These tea cakes from my Mississippi big mama have been passed down from generation to generation. They are soft, buttery and the perfect mix of cake and sugar cookie textures. If you want authentic Southern tea cakes that have been thoroughly recipe tested, you’ve come to the right place.
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These shape up easy like cookie dough so you won’t find it hard to pull these off. Just make sure you:
- Refrigerate the Dough: It needs to firm up for at least an hour.
- Use your Hands: Your hand warmth helps shape the dough so it’s more workable.
- Keep it Tender: Make sure you don’t overmix the dough or overbake your cookies so they stay soft.
- Cool on the Pan: The cookies will be soft when you first remove the tray from the oven. I like to let them cool slightly on the pan which firms them up slightly making them easier to move.
How to Make Tea Cakes
Make the Tea Cake Dough
Step 1: Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
Step 2: In your mixer, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy.
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Step 3: Add in the egg and vanilla and keep mixing until it’s smooth.
Step 4: Slowly add the dry ingredients into the mix.
Step 5: Mix after each addition only until just combined. Don’t overdo it.
Step 6: Cover the bowl or place the dough in a freezer bag and refrigerate it for at least an hour.
Bake Them Up!
Step 7: Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Smooth the balls, place them on a baking tray, and flatten each one slightly.
Step 8: Bake the tea cakes for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are golden. Cool and serve them up.
Southern Tea Cakes Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4-1/2 tsp ground nutmeg optional
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
- In the bowl of your mixer, add butter and sugar and mix together on high speed until fluffy and smooth (about 4-5 minutes).
- Turn mixer to medium speed and add in one egg, vanilla extract and nutmeg, if using, and beat until well incorporated.
- Lastly, turn mixer to slow speed and add in flour mixture in intervals of three beating after each addition to incorporate.
- After dough is well mixed, turn off mixer and remove dough from mixer and add to a ziploc bag and place in your refrigerator for at least one hour to firm up dough.
- Once dough is firm, remove from fridge and preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Taking a measuring tablespoon, scoop out cookie dough the size of the tablespoon and roll into a ball. Using your thumb, gently press the center to flatten a bit and place on the tray.
- Do the same for the rest of the dough leaving at least an 1 1/2 inches between each dough ball.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown on the edges and remove from the oven.
- Cool for 5-10 minutes and serve.
Notes
How to Store Tea Cakes
To keep your Southern Tea Cakes tasting just as amazing as the day they were baked, store them in an airtight container at room temp boos.How long will old fashioned tea cakes last?
They’ll stay fresh for up to 5-6 days. Keep them away from direct sunlight and some place cool such as the pantry or cabinet.Can I freeze them?
Yep, for sure boos! Just make sure they’re tightly wrapped, pop in a freezer bag, label with the date and they’ll be good for up to three months.Ingredient Swaps and Information
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- Unsalted Butter: You can also use salted butter here. Just leave out the salt in the recipe if you make this swap.
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- Granulated Sugar: You can swap in brown sugar or even molasses like my daddy’s grandmother used to do.
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- Egg: Just one binds the batter together.
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- Pure Vanilla Extract: You can swap this for any extract you like from almond to lemon.
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- All-Purpose Flour: You can try a cup-for-cup gluten-free option here though the texture might change a little.
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- Salt: Just a pinch! It helps balance the sweetness.
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- Baking Soda: Check your expiration date to make sure it’s good to go.
Nutrition
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Very easy to make, my family loves them
I am from Georgia and I was raised on tea cakes. My recipe is almost like yours except mine is a larger batch. I use Crisco, butter and self rising flour. The batter is softer and you do not refrigerate the dough. I use a medium cookie scoop and drop them on my cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. They are soft, buttery and so delicious and easier to make. All of my friends love this recipe and when I let them know on Facebook that I am baking them everyone wants them. I actually made two large batches today to share with my family. My husband wants some made with chocolate but I cannot find a recipe for them. I have tried adding cocoa to the batter and they didn’t turn out well at all. I found one recipe using pecans and semisweet chocolate chips but they were too dry and didn’t taste good at all. I happened on your page and was hoping that you could help me out. Have you ever made any chocolate ones? I would love to have your suggestions.
This is a delightful recipe. Both my mother’s family made their recipe and my father’s Tante Terese had her own. These cookies baked up in wood-fired stoves as well as they do in electric ovens and lasted in the high humidity w/o problems. They were kept in pantries in various containers that were not airtight and were always delicious. Etiquette (visiting) dictated 2 only per person. However, at home my mother made large versions and we could have more than 2/day, if they were in the house. Once my sister and I used duck eggs to make the recipe and had to double all the ingredients b/c the duck eggs are so much larger than chicken eggs. Fortunately, my mother did not find out why we had so many cookies. However, her finely tuned taste buds knew there was something different. Thanks for the good memory.
My grandmother passed in 1987 and the last time I remember her making them with nutmeg was in the 60s. About 10 years ago my mother tried to remember how they were made & I tried it but they weren’t quit right. I will use your recipe and add nutmeg for my familiar back in the day memory. Thank you.
Oh wonderful Sondra. I hope they are delicious to you and bring back wonderful memories.
Thank You I have been searching for this recipe. I think this is it.
I love this recipe! It is absolutely amazing. My picky husband even loves them. I’ve made these twice in one week. Now, I will continue to make them to have with my coffee. So easy and so delicious!
This is the best recipe Just wish it makes more
Thank you so much!!! Just make sure to double if you want a larger quantity.
How would I go about making a red velvet version of these?
I wouldn’t change the recipe but you could add a little cocoa powder and a bit of red food coloring.
My grandmother ALWAYS made them with real Bananas which was the best part to me.
This recipe is perfect. I agree- Tea cakes are important to our Southern Heritage. I think I will make some this weekend. I had been asking for some for months, and my co-worker made some using this recipe. They were soooooooooo goood with my morning cup of coffee!
Awww thank you so so much!!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
This recipe is perfect. I agree- Tea cakes are important to hour Southern Heritage. I think I will make some this weekend. I had been asking for some for months, and my co-worker made some using this recipe. They were soooooooooo goood with my morning cup of coffee!
This is the best tea cake I’ve ever had love them
I’m so glad you love these! I love them!
I remember my grandmother coming in from the cotton field early, in order to cook supper. She would sometimes whip up a batch of tea cakes in 20 minutes. What I remember is how good the dough was, and the smell when they came out of the oven
Oh gosh what a fantastic story.
LOL. We have almost the same memory. My grandmother would come in from either picking cotton or from feeding the cows to cook supper and of course back then, they never failed to cook something sweet. On Sundays, it was usually a huge cake or pie made from scratch but during the week or saturdays it was Tea Cakes. Hers were the best because she used bananas. It’s been over 40 yeas and I still crave them.